The National
Law Journal (NLJ) published its Midsize Hot List this week, and we
are
pleased that Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP was included as
one of
only 20 firms selected.

How
the selection process works

In its
national survey, the NLJ judged firms by how they stood out
from their
competition, what made them distinct in terms of organization and
operations,
and by the key matters the firm handled for clients in 2011. As part of
that
process, the NLJ's researchers contact the firm's clients for
their
input.

According
to the National Law Journal, the 20 law firms that comprise its
2012
Midsize Hot List "are good at what they do, but they're also good at
how
they do it".

Known
globally for hospitality

In its
profile of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP (JMBM), the National
Law
Journal noted that the firm has many successful practices in
industry
niches, being best known globally for its Global Hospitality
Group®. Particular
note was also made of the related activities of our Chinese Investment
Group®
in both EB-5 and inbound investment from China.

At
JMBM, we believe that clients benefit from industry specialization.
When a
lawyer has deep experience in an area, you are almost certain to get a
better
outcome. Not only that, you will get it faster, cheaper, and with less
risk. I
have always reminded our clients -- hotel owners, developers and
capital
providers -- that hotels are NOT just real estate. Hotels are complex
operating
businesses, integrally intertwined with special-purpose real estate. So
when
you have an important hotel matter, why would you go to a just a real
estate
lawyer? You need a hotel lawyer!

What
our clients think

It's
always nice to be recognized for one's work but, for me, it was most
gratifying
to read the comments made during the reference checking by Warren
Ernst, senior
city attorney for the city of Dallas, for which our hotel lawyers
conducted a
request for proposal -- using JMBM's HMA Pro™ approach -- for hotel
brands to manage
its large convention center hotel. (We assisted in the selection
process and
then negotiated a "qualified hotel management agreement" meeting the
requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for a project financed with
tax-exempt bonds.) Here's what he told the National Law Journal:

Warren Ernst, a senior
executive assistant city attorney
for Dallas, said that Jeffer Mangels "made a very complex component of
the
project go efficiently, while assuring the city's leaders and managers
that the
city's interests were being very well protected. JMBM was critical in
providing
both legal and practical business advice throughout the process. "

Our
goal has always been to be more than "just" excellent hotel lawyers,
but to also bring business advice -- both practical and strategic -- to
each of
our client's projects. For sophisticated clients who don't have
expertise in
hospitality, like Warren's team at the city of Dallas, our team
provides
hotel-specific knowledge about what is "market" or "customary."
We can help them understand what's a fair deal and how to get it.
Applying
creative and unusual approaches, like our HMA Pro™ approach to finding
a great
hotel operator, we can add value and help to solve sticky problems.

How
we run our business

Beyond
our outstanding law practice, the National Law Journal noted
JMBM's
adherence to conservative business practices and collegiality. As Bruce
Jeffer,
JMBM's managing partner told the National Law Journal: "We run
our
business responsibly, and support a cadre of first-rate,
forward-thinking
lawyers who care about their clients, each other and the firm."

JMBM
recently marked its 30th anniversary and, as a founding partner, I have
a good
idea of what it takes to build an outstanding law practice. It would
not be
possible without the superbly executed work of my partners in JMBM's
Global
Hospitality Group®, nor would it be possible without the many
opportunities for
growth that have been provided by our clients. I am extremely grateful
to all.

This is Jim Butler,
author
of www.HotelLawBlog.com and
hotel
lawyer, signing off. We've done more than $60 billion of hotel
transactions and
have developed innovative solutions to help investors be successful in
bidding
for hotel acquisitions, and helping investors and lenders to unlock
value from
troubled hotel transactions. Who's your hotel lawyer?

_______________________

Our
Perspective. We
represent hotel lenders,
owners and investors. We have helped our clients find business and
legal
solutions for more than $60 billion of hotel transactions, involving
more than
1,300 properties all over the world. For more information, please
contact Jim
Butler at jbutler@jmbm.com
or +1
(310) 201-3526.

Jim
Butler is a founding partner of JMBM, and Chairman of its Global
Hospitality
Group® and Chinese Investment Group™. Jim is one of the top
hospitality
attorneys in the world. GOOGLE "hotel lawyer" and you will see why.

Jim
and his team are more than "just" great hotel lawyers. They are also
hospitality consultants and business advisors. They are deal makers.
They can
help find the right operator or capital provider. They know who to call
and how
to reach them.

JMBM’s
Global Hospitality Group®

The
hotel lawyers in the Global Hospitality Group® of
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell (JMBM) comprise the premier
hospitality
practice in a full-service law firm and are the authors of the Hotel Law Blog. We
represent hotel owners, developers, investors and lenders and have
helped our
clients find business and legal solutions for more than $60 billion of
hotel
transactions, involving more than 1,300 properties worldwide. For more
information
about the Global Hospitality Group®, go to www.HotelLawBlog.com.
For more information about full range of legal services provided by
JMBM, go to www.JMBM.com.